Ghosts: A Quelondain Short

by Mireille Chester

  Chapter Three

  Jasper took a deep breath of cool morning air. The pads of his paws tingled as the frost melted under them. He blinked, his sky blue tiger eyes peering through the fog. A twig snapped to his left and he crouched low, waiting for the noise to repeat itself. He tried not to think of the fact that his mother’s cough had worsened during the night, or that he’d seen how his father had tried to hide the blood that had appeared on his hand after a particularly nasty coughing fit. His ears moved at another rustle in the quiet of the forest. He mentally growled and told himself to concentrate on the hunt. He tensed at the sight of a rabbit hopping just a few feet ahead of him. His frustrated groan scared it off as he stood and watched it bound off into the cover of the dense bushes. He needed something bigger; a doe. What he needed was to find a herd.

  He resumed his hunt, stalking quietly through the trees. The red flowers hanging from the large pines were slowly opening as the sunlight fought to make its way through the fog. He made his way toward the small clearing Luke had claimed as theirs. The brothers had loved to make forts and play war there.

  Jasper crouched low behind a bush, trying to slow his heart as he came upon the herd he’d just been hoping to find; seven does and a buck, all of them eating the frosted grass that covered the clearing. He suddenly wished he’d asked Jane to come along. Had she been here, they could have easily taken down the buck. He could still do it, he argued with himself. And though he was right and knew it, he’d done it before, he knew that his chances of taking down a doe were much better. He started to watch each doe individually. Two of them were too thin; they’d be easier to catch, but he needed something that would feed them for a while. Three of them were facing him; they’d spot him and be gone before he could reach them. The last two were healthy looking and facing away from him. He gazed from one to the other until he was sure which one was closest.

  His claws dung into the dirt as he launched himself into the clearing, his eyes focused on the doe he’d picked. The ones facing him raised their heads, ears at attention, before bounding away, tails up in alarm. Jasper’s target raised her head and looked around trying to find the danger the rest of her herd had spotted. Not finding it in front of her, she bound off in that direction. He ran as fast as he could, his legs and body bending and stretching, getting closer to the doe with every stride. She darted to the left and back to the right in an attempt to keep some trees between her and the tiger she now knew was behind her.

  Jasper’s massive paw swiped at her hind legs and he swore mentally when she managed to avoid being tripped. It took three more strides and a near trip on his part before he managed to knock her off balance enough for her to fall to the ground. She scrambled to get to her feet, her front legs flailing as she tried to pull her back end out from under him. His claws dug into her haunches and he hauled himself on top of her. His weight caused her to roll to the side. She threw her head back, hoping to roll him off of her. One front knee caught him in the ribs and he grunted, though it wasn’t enough to break his concentration. He waited until she threw her head back once more before sinking his teeth into her throat. He bit down as hard as he could and pulled back. The hot blood pulsed into his mouth and soaked into his fur and hers. The doe twitched and jerked under him, her struggles gradually ebbing in strength and frequency. Once she lay still, he let go and stretched out on his side to catch his breath.

  Instead of easing, the tight feeling in his chest increased and he shifted back. He lay on his back and stretched his arms over his head, his breath coming in hot puffs of air. The pain flared. He’d fallen hand first into the fireplace as a result of a wrestling match with Luke when they were younger. The pain that had engulfed his hand then seemed to be burning him from the inside out now. He groaned, pulling off his tunic, hoping it would help. His muscles corded under his skin as his groan turned into a scream. Black spots filled his vision. He curled himself into a ball, the pain making it impossible for him to breathe. His sight gone, his lungs useless, he felt something deep inside of him break.

  “No!” The word barely made it past his lips. “By the moons, no!” The pain vanished as quickly as it had started only to be replaced by an empty feeling. “Jane!” His twin’s name echoed through the woods.

  The doe forgotten, he shifted and ran as fast as he could toward the cabin. The smell of blood and dogs filled his senses even before he’d opened the door. He sank to his knees at the sight of his mother in her tiger form lying on the floor, the blood that had escaped through the dagger cuts seeping into the area rug.

  “Mum!” His hands dug into her fur and he put his ear by her mouth, trying to see if she still breathed. His chest tightened as he realized she was gone. “No, no, no… please, no.” The words were just a whisper. He fought off his tears and ran to his father’s room. There, it was obvious they’d gotten to his dad while the man had still been asleep. Jesse’s green eyes were wide with surprise, staring unseeing at the ceiling. Four deep stab wounds in his chest accounted for the look he wore in death.

  Jasper turned and collided with the door frame, the pain in his shoulder not registering past the pain in his chest. He made his way to the room he shared with Jared, this time moving reluctantly toward a scene he was sure he didn’t want to see. He opened the door and looked onto the little bed. The toddler lay under the clean light blue sheets; there was no blood.

  “Thank the moons.” Jasper knelt beside the bed. “Jared, wake up.” He shook his brother lightly. “Jared…” He frowned and pulled the covers away from the little face. He clenched his jaw as his gaze moved from Jared’s wide green eyes and blue face to the tear stained pillow lying beside him. He swallowed hard and reached over to close the toddler’s lids. His heart dropped at the sight of the blood drops on the floor by the door. Jane.

  He stumbled to her room, following the blood trail, and hesitated at the door. “Jane?” He closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths. He nudged the door open and stepped into the room. A growl exploded from his throat and he rushed to his sister’s side. Her hands had been tied behind her back to keep her from shifting. Her ripped dress barely covered her as she lay slumped over the edge of her bed. She’d been cut, beaten and… Jasper heard the wail echo through the room even before he realized he was screaming. He sat heavily and pulled her into his lap. Her face and light brown hair were crimson with the blood that had gushed from the slit in her throat.

  He cradled her to his chest, rocking her back and forth. His body shook, his sobs muffled in her hair.

  “By the moons! Jasper! Jane! Jesse?”

  Klaira stopped short as she stepped into the bedroom. She recovered quickly from the shocking sight before her and knelt beside Jasper.

  “Let me have a look. If she’s still alive, I might be able…” Her heart sank at the shake of his head. “Jared?” Her eyes filled with tears. She ran a hand through her long blond hair. “Jasper...” She waited until he looked into her hazel eyes. “Are you hurt?”

  “No.”

  “By the moons, Jasper, what happened?” Her throat tightened at the sight of fresh tears running down his face.

  He shook his head. “I was hunting. I got a feeling… I felt her die.” A sob shook his body and he hugged Jane tightly.

  Klaira ran a hand through his dark curls and pulled his head to her chest. She smoothed his hair.

  “We’ll go get my dad and my brother.” She glanced out the window to get an idea for the time. “We should be back just before supper.” Jasper shook his head. “Jasper…” She cupped his face in her hands so he would look at her. “We need help to bury them.”

  “I…” He swallowed hard. “I’m not leaving them.” He stood, placed Jane on the bed, and went to stand outside. Klaira followed him and leaned against the cabin, trying to find a way to get him to come along. She watched as he stared into the woods to the south. The sun shone through
the trees, highlighting his curls and lightening his already pale blue eyes. His tanned face and upper body were streaked with blood as were his light brown deer skin pants. His fists clenched and opened repeatedly. He ground his teeth, closed his eyes, and took a deep breath.

  “Jasper?” Klaira sucked in a breath at the wild look in his eyes. “Come with me.”

  Jasper barely heard her through the pounding of his heart in his chest. “Go. I’ll wait here. The bastards might decide to come back.” His voice was hard and filled with anger.

  “You don’t know how many there were.”

  “It doesn’t matter.” A picture of his sister flashed through his head and he swallowed hard. “Go. I’ll be here.”

  Klaira hesitated, not wanting to leave him like this. “Jasper…”

  The wild blue gaze met hers. She stood on her tip toes and kissed him softly. Jasper jerked in surprise.

  “Be careful. I’ll be back in a few hours.” She watched as he disappeared into the cabin without a word.”